Scientists of Prince of Songkla University, Rueangrit Promdam, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science and Pun Yeesin, Department of Technology and Industries, Faculty of Science and Technology, in association with Professor Peter Ng, Head of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore, jointly described Terrapotamon thungwa as a second new species of terrestrial long-legged crab of the genus Terrapotamon.

Interestingly, the first species of the terrestrial long-legged crab and the most similar species, T. longitarsus Lheknim & Ng, 2016 that was previously described from Amphoe Mueang Satun is also occurring in Amphoe Thung Wa, the same area of the new species. However, the differences between these two species are very clear. The new species, T. thungwa is remarkably bright red body, with thicker crest on anterolateral margins of the carapace and slenderer on the nearly leg tip segments are easily to comparison.

Thung Wa long-legged crab was first collected in 2015 by Sommai Promwichit, the headman of Tambon Pa Kae Bo Hin, Thung Wa. It was subsequently sent to Rueangrit for species identification. However, his only one female specimen looks very similar to Satun long-legged crab. This doubt was resolved confirming it is a new species when Rueangrit and Pun have collected additional specimens both of adult male and female in 2016 and examined them together with Professor Peter Ng. It has been described as a new species and recently published in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on 23 August 2017.

Currently, this new species is only found in a very limited range of Amphoe Thung Wa. It is very likely that this is an endemic species of this area. Unfortunately, it may prove to be at risk and being threatened by the growth of aquarium crabs trading in Thailand, as well as limestone quarrying for cement manufacture, which are on-going in the area, and could easily drive this species to extinction.

Source: Promdam, R., Yeesin, Pun & Ng, P.K.L. 2017. A second new species of terrestrial long-legged Terrapotamon Ng, 1986 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Potamidae) from karst forests in Peninsular Thailand. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 65; 404–415. [PDF]